Breakfast Abroad

Calgary’s international offerings make breakfast the most travelled meal of the day.

THE HORN OF AFRICA – MULAWAH, FATIRA AND FUUL

Coffee Land serves up an excellent array of breakfast dishes from the Horn of Africa. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, it is easy to find mulawah, a buttery layered flatbread that originates in Yemen. Here, it’s soft and chewy, with a crispy, pan-fried exterior. They also offer fatira/faxira, a popular Ethiopian breakfast street food. Coffee Land’s version is filled with spicy scrambled eggs, diced peppers and tomatoes. It is rich, spicy and very filling. Finally, don’t miss out on fuul, a delicious spicy stew of fava beans commonly served for breakfast in parts of Africa and the Middle East.

Coffee Land | 101, 1710 Centre St. N.E. | 403.402.5093 | IG: @coffeeland2021

PAKISTAN – HALWA PURI

Every weekend, Raja’s Grill is packed with hungry patrons seeking out their halwa puri. Halwa puri is deep-fried pillowy puri bread, sweet, fragrant semolina halwa and chickpea and potato curries. The beauty of halwa puri is the marriage of sweet and savory. Want a sweet bite? Take a piece of puri and a scoop of halwa. Want something saltier? Take some puri and some curry. At Raja’s Grill, the puri is soft and freshly fried, the chana masala is smooth and aromatic and the aloo tarkari is chock-full of cumin-and-turmeric seasoned potatoes.

Raja’s Grill Calgary | 4524 Edmonton Tr. N.E. | 403.277.1838 | rajasgrillcalgary.com

TURKEY – KAHVALTI

Turca Breakfast House serves beautifully prepared, authentic breakfast spreads. Resembling a charcuterie board, Kahvalti, is traditionally savoured over conversation and strong black tea. At Turca, the generous breakfast-for-one offers thinly sliced pastirma, a garlicky cured beef, freshly baked sesame bagels known as simit, feta cheese, honey, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers and a smattering of walnuts and olives. The highlight of the spread is a choice between menemen, a shakshouka-like dish with eggs cooked in a fragrant, spicy tomato sauce and a sausage egg scramble using sujuk, a traditional beef sausage.

Turca Breakfast House | 2604 4th St. N.W. | 403.613.9707 | IG: @turcafood

MEXICO – CAFÉ DE OLLA

For an intensely cinnamon-flavored, sweet Mexican-style coffee called café de olla, drop by Fresh-adilla, Fresh Tortilla, a hidden gem tucked into a northeast office building. After a bite of its street food-style fried quesadillas packed with chicken and melty cheese, you won’t be able to stop thinking about this café!

Fresh-adilla, Fresh Tortilla/Deerfoot Cafe  | DJ3, 212 31st Ave. N.E. | 403.837.1056 | freshadilla@gmail.com

MIDDLE EAST – MANA’EESH

Mana’eesh is a tasty flatbread enjoyed for breakfast in the Middle East. Calgary’s Tasse Bakery makes them to order, cooking the dough until it develops the perfect bubbles and chewy bite. Choose toppings like za’atar mana’eesh, which is a classic. Tasse Bakery’s version is spread with olive oil and a liberal dusting of za’atar, a traditional spice mix featuring oregano, sumac and roasted sesame seeds. Don’t leave the bakery without inspecting the impressive pastry cases full of traditional sweets.

Tasse Bakery | 14, 3220 5th Ave. N.E. | 403.452.5035 | tassebakery.com

COLUMBIA – BANDEJA PAISA

Bandeja paisa is Colombia’s national dish and is comprised of beans, rice, fried eggs, chorizo sausage, avocado, arepas, plantains, ground beef and fried pork belly. Given Colombia’s strong regional identities, many variations pop up across the country. In Calgary, Norley’s bandeja paisa comes with a generous slice of perfectly cooked top sirloin, seasoned pork belly and chorizo, and tender, caramelized plantains. At Unimarket, you’ll find a platter with a grilled crispy arepa, rich red beans and salty ground beef.

Norley’s Authentic Colombian Street Food | 1314b 9th Ave. S.E. | 403.764.4000 |  IG: @norleys_colombianstreetfood

UniMarket | 128 50th Ave. S.E. and 2405 | Edmonton Tr. N.E. | 403.255.4479 and 403.984.3373 | unimarket.ca

HONG KONG – CHA CHAAB TENG BREAKFAST

Colonized by the British from 1841 to 1997, Hong Kong has a unique fusion cuisine that features prominently in its cafés, known as cha chaan teng. Calgary Court Restaurant offers Hong Kong café breakfasts every morning 8-11 a.m. Thick slices of toast are drizzled with condensed milk, hearty bowls of congee (rice porridge) fill you up and classic chicken noodle soup with macaroni and strips of ham make for a brunchy vibe. The requisite accompaniments are also present: deep-fried Chinese donuts best eaten with congee, smooth rice crepes and plates of soy sauce noodles with crispy bean sprouts. The heart of breakfast is Hong Kong-style milk tea, which is made with a black tea blend brewed strong. Its rich texture is due to copious amounts of evaporated milk and tea-pulling. Add sugar!

Calgary Court Restaurant | 119 2nd Ave. S.E. | 403.264.7890 | tasteofasiagroup.ca

ETHIOPIA – JEBENA BUNA

For mellow, smooth, low acidity Ethiopian coffee, check out Bono Coffee Roasters. Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and Bono Coffee honours that heritage with their blends. Each month, the café hosts a traditional coffee ceremony known as jebena buna, which involves freshly roasting, crushing, pouring and serving coffee.

Bono Coffee Roasters | 737 1st Ave. N.E. | 403.200.2166 | bonocoffee.ca

FRANCE – BAGUETTE, BEURRE ET CONFITURE

Mari Bakeshop’s baguette is this French staple as it should be, golden and crunchy on the outside, airy and soft on the inside. French butter can be pricey in Calgary, but do treat yourself to Bridgeland Market’s imported Normandy butter with a delicately salty, multi-dimensional taste that pairs wonderfully with local jams. Worthy Jams was created by Ashlee Steinhauer, who discovered a passion for making jam during her recovery from addiction. Worthy Jams has a slew of creative flavours, and the Earl Grey Lavender Peach Spread is intensely, deliciously sweet, with pieces of peach and notes of bergamot.

Mari Bakeshop | 103 St. Matthew Sq. N.E. | 403.214.0629 | maribakeshop.ca

Bridgeland Market | 1104 1st Ave. N.E. | 403.269.2381 | bridgelandmarket.com

Worthy Jams | Various retailers and available online | 403.831.4634 | worthyjams.com

VIETNAM – CÀ PHÉ TRÚ’NG

You’re accustomed to egg on your toast, but how about in your coffee? Once you’ve had this creamy, fluffy concoction, you’ll understand how a drink created in a crisis became a national favourite. Born in Vietnam in the 1940s during a milk shortage, egg coffee is made by beating together egg yolk and condensed milk to create a whipped topping that is gently stirred into strong coffee before drinking.

Xin Chao Coffee | 3110, 2255 32nd St. N.E. | 403.590.9999 | xinchaocoffee.ca